Essence of Living

Archive for December, 2009

Thai Massage has been around for over 2500 years and originated in India. Dr Shivago the founder of Thai Massage based this ancient healing craft on the traditional Hatha Yoga poses which also originated around 2500 years ago. It is commonly refered to as “Lazy mans yoga” as the receiver simply lies there and the practitioner does all the stretches and bending for you.

Thai Massage is both relaxing and therapeutic. One can expect to receive deep stretches to open the body along with accupressure points using Sen energy lines to awaken stagnant energy flow. This is a great way to reap all the benefits of yoga when you are too tired to do it yourself or have an injury or disability which doesn’t allow you to join a normal yoga class.

Thai massage is best over a 2 hr session however in the Western culture time is a precious commodity and can be tailored to suit a shorter 1 hr session. The receiver always wears loose comfortable clothes. My teacher would say in broken English “No clothes, no Thai massage” highlighting a misconception of what real Thai massage is due to Western tourism and Thai prostitution.

My period is always in tune with the full moon and in Thailand I was exactly in sync. I have recently arrived home and my moon cycle is now 3 days over due inline with the Thai moon however the Gold Coast moon isn’t even nearly full. I started to think that maybe I could be already pregnant so I did my 1st pregnancy test!

It came back negative….. which is probably a blessing as I had a couple of glasses of wine whilst meeting the in-laws over the festive season. It would have been a pleasant surprise however my annual calendar is chock-a-block till the end of September and I believe it’s all part of the master plan.

I was really excited however this morning to do my 1st pregnancy test. It was so simple and easy. I feel like there are two types of women who are in the baby making business. Those who are consciously trying and the others who accidently conceive. I have a few clients who have tried for years to conceive and this new journey has given me a whole new understanding, empathy and perspective on life itself.

It’s amazing how much we learn more about our partners from meeting their parents. We get a small taste as to why they are the way they are. We are all a product of our era, culture, environment and importantly parents. We learn how we want to be and how we don’t want to be…… whether we achieve these original ideals is another story as we typically end up mimicking their past behaviour and patterning.

I was initially nervous to meet them for the first time and I couldn’t decide what to wear! I even bought a new dress for the occasion. Matt and his parents are from a small valley town in Wales that couldn’t be more different from the Gold Coast. Luckily for me my mum is also from the UK and has a very similar nature to Matt’s mum; strong, determined and loyal. On the other hand our fathers spirit’s are of the same nature, soft, calm yet confident (both have also had their fair share of wild days).

Family is of the utmost importance and during the festive season we get the opportunity to spend time building and nurturing this deep unbreakable connection that the family unit creates. My dad always used to say to me growing up “Friends will come and go but we are your family and will always be here for you no matter what happens.” I hope I can be the role model my parents are for me.

My partner has inspired me to always write, speak and live my truth. We have just started trying to have a baby and I have a lot of excitement about this new beginning. I have already got a taste as I now have two-step sons, one who lives with us fulltime and the other 50% of the time. But having my own baby will be a whole different experience I believe, I have a lot of fear that I may lose my sense of self.

My yoga practice keeps evolving physically and I have fear that my body won’t come back. I’m scared I won’t be able to continue travelling around the world studying with great teachers at the drop of a hat. I’m worried that I’m too work focused and will struggle giving up my busy life.

Being an independent business woman and devoted yogini both require a lot of personal time and dedication. My partner is my rock and supports me greatly but I know life will be changed forever.

Deep inside however I feel this will be the most rewarding job in the world and a true life of service and spiritual growth. I’m excited, scared and hopeful.

I found myself shedding a tear again last night about the death of my beloved dog Miso. She was my baby, my best friend. She has been my biggest teacher in life thus far, she taught me how to nurture, support, love and most important deal with death. Miso and I did everything together, she came to work with me, she slept with me, she came on long drives with me, she even came to parties with me. People knew me because of my little dog, a small little Shitzu with the biggest of hearts.

When I went through a massive break up a few years ago my dog was my saviour, she was there for me to cry and cuddle myself to sleep at night. How I wish I could turn back time as she bolted in the Summer storms over 12 months ago with a crack of thunder and lightning and got hit by a car in a freak accident. I was hysterical and have been scarred forever. I know we have to move on, I have even got another dog but it’s not the same….. I feel like I failed my little companion and the only hope I have is that our spirits will connect again in the future.

Here in Thailand I see hundreds of little Shitzus everyday and I see little Miso in all of them and it makes me pat and cuddle each of them for longer than I should. Thankyou Miso for your love and the hardest lesson in life to process. I hope we are reunited again some where, some how.

I will be successful in my life if I fulfill the following intentions.

Be a strong, caring, compassionate and supportive husband. the result will be Michelle will have a stronger sense of self and a more positive life from me being an integral part of it. My intention is to create a lasting, growing and loving relationship in which we can both flourish.

Be a strong, supportive, forgiving and morally sound parent. The result will be my children growing up to be morally responsible and positive people with enjoyable, successful lives.

Be an honest and fair person with strong morals and high integrity. The result will be that I will have strong self worth, high self esteem and be somebody who is trusted to do the right thing.

Be strong enough to live by my beliefs no matter what the outcome or sentiment of others. The result of this is that I will remain on track and level and will not conform to negative persuasion or more limited beliefs.

Be part of a business that has a beneficial impact on society and its surroundings. The result of this is I will have a passion for the business I participate in.

Have enough money to support my family appropriately. This would mean an ability to manage the bills to provide a nice home in an appropriate location, good food, private schooling for the children and regular trips overseas now and in the foreseeable future. The result will be no stress and comfortable lifestyle for both myself and my family.

Be dependable and reliable for family members, friends and associates. The result will be a strong social community surrounding me and positive environment.

I do not require a plethora of expensive goods to be deemed successful, however I do require comfortable belongings.

I do not need to judge myself as others see me but do require to be a person that my family respect.